Cairo: Under the patronage of the League of Arab States and the Minister of Social Solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Dr. Nevin Riad El-Kabbaj, the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation Insignia for Best Voluntary Work was held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The event was organized by the Arab Voluntary Union in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in cooperation with the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of the League of Arab States and in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers program, the United Nations Population Fund, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the Arab Planning Institute in Kuwait. The ceremony was attended by a large number of officials, prominent figures, and those interested in the field of volunteer and development work, amidst significant media attention.
The ceremony witnessed the honoring of 18 volunteer projects from 11 countries worldwide. These projects distinguished themselves in serving the community and were distributed across six categories. In the category of health, well-being, hygiene, and clean water, the "Wareed" blood donation initiative from Morocco, the "Khatwa min Badri" project for the Kashf Breast Cancer Organization from Sudan, and the "Volunteer Business Incubator in Yanbu Industrial City (Volunteer Center)" presented by the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu - Social Services Administration in Saudi Arabia won.
In the category of economic empowerment, poverty eradication, and decent work, the "Restoring Hope in Old Mosul" initiative presented by the Muthabiroun for Good Volunteer Team from Iraq, the "Tamkeen" project presented by the Namaa Association for Community Development from Jordan, and the "Technology House" project presented by the Nagaa Khamis Development and Technology Association from Egypt won.
In the category of education, illiteracy eradication, and literacy, the "Masarat" initiative for distance learning from Syria, the Sudanese Organization for the Support of Education (SUDESO) project from Sudan, and the "Kinda for Children" project from Jordan won.
In the category of heritage, culture, and arts, the "Arabic Calligraphy, a Necklace of Pride Passed Down Through Generations" project presented by the Antonian Art Foundation from Lebanon, the "Ramadan with an Arab Flavor" initiative presented by the Tunisian Association for Modern Education Technology from Tunisia, and the "Arabic Calligraphy Endowment" project presented by the Qalam Foundation for Arts and Culture from Egypt won.
In the category of environment, climate, clean energy, and life on land and water, the "Green Mosul" initiative presented by the Ain Al-Mosul team from Iraq, the "Green Workers" program presented by the Al-Jil Al-Akhdar Association from Jordan, and the "Solaire Irrigation par énergie" project presented by MOUES Imed from Algeria won.
Finally, in the category of food security, ending hunger, the "Sustainable Agriculture to Support Smallholder Women Farmers" initiative from Egypt, the "Relief for Rohingya Camps in Northern Thailand" project presented by the Rahma Charitable Association Asia in Thailand, and the "Organic Farming" project presented by Royal Green Technologies from Egypt won.
The ceremony also witnessed the honoring of a number of pioneers in Arab development work who support the civil and community work movement, including Dr. Bader Othman Malallah, Director-General of the Arab Planning Institute, Mr. Ishaq Ibrahim Ishaq, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Weightlifting Federation (BWF), and Mr. Jawad Bukhamseen, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Founder of the Bukhamseen Holding Group, in appreciation of their prominent role in serving volunteer and development work.
In this regard, Counselor Khamis Al-Busaidi, Director of the Civil Society Organizations Department at the League of Arab States, affirmed that the League's patronage of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation Insignia for Best Voluntary Work for the fourth consecutive year demonstrates the Arab League's keen interest in civil society organizations concerned with volunteer work and working to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed that the League of Arab States is keen to unify efforts and coordinate between Arab governments and civil society organizations and institutions to actively engage them in the joint work system that serves development issues at the Arab level.
For his part, Mr. Hassan Buhazaa, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, expressed his sincere gratitude to the League of Arab States for its continuous patronage of the Insignia and its hosting since its inception in 2018, as well as Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation for its continuous support for the Insignia. He also appreciated the effective partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Volunteers program, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the Arab Planning Institute in Kuwait for their cooperation and great efforts in enhancing joint work to serve the causes of sustainable development in the world. He also congratulated the winners of the Insignia, wishing them all the best in developing their development projects.
For his part, Dr. Issa bin Hassan Al Ansari, Secretary-General of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation, congratulated the winners on the quality and innovative nature of their projects, affirming that the Insignia has been able to create healthy competition and encourage distinguished ideas and initiatives that contribute to the development of communities. He stressed that all participants in the Insignia are considered winners, as they will benefit from the participation by learning about the mechanisms for developing their projects, improving their capacities, and ensuring their sustainability to serve their communities.
Dr. Al Ansari explained that the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation Insignia for Best Voluntary Work in the World is one of the qualitative initiatives launched by the Foundation in light of its humanitarian and social duty towards the peoples.
On the other hand, the winners of the fourth edition of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation Insignia for Best Voluntary Work in the World expressed their great pride and appreciation for winning. They expressed their sincere thanks and gratitude to the Arab Voluntary Union and the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation and those in charge of the Insignia for their contribution to supporting volunteer work and highlighting it, affirming that this win represents a milestone for a new phase of development for their projects and expanding the scope of their services.
